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FOR GOODNESS SAKE HELP ME FIX MY VIDEO CARD... AND DO NOT IGNORE MY PO


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#1
superstar

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Okay I went & bought the new 40mm fan for my "Nvidia Geforce 2 MX400" 64 bit video card that I was told to buy a while back by one of your members. Because the fan on my used nvidia agp card was dead. & the fan works fine when I tested it in my mobo.

I have a really big problem now. I have followed the instructions that a previous member had given to me. The instructions on installing my used geforce 2 card from him were: (notice the bold underlined words)

1. Download the drivers off nvidia's site (because I did'nt have them)

2. Go into device driver and uninstall my integrated graphics that come with my "HP Vectra VL400" pc. Than shut down.

3. Install the Nvidia card

4. Reboot and enter the bios and enable agp in the advanced options. save and exit. Than let it boot normally.

5. Once on the desktop, install the forceware drivers that I downloaded from the Nvidia site. Than reboot when prompted, and adjust my settings when back on my desktop.

6. That's when I should have supposedly finished the process!!!!


I tried that process and I had problems... The following is the only way I can explain my problem. This is where I'll take us way back to when I did'nt have the forceware, or even installed the card, or even done anything... When I bought this card and brought it home it had no driver cd. So me thinking it would probably work without them I installed it in the agp slot on my mobo. When I did so I turned on my pc and it boot normally except the screen was srambled. It was scrambled all the way to the xp desktop. But it was still visible though scrambled. I'd than restart my pc with the agp video card still in my pc and it would boot perfectly clear. It would go up to the xp desktop and still work fine. No problems whatsoandever. I tried a 64 bit 3D video game and it ran fine! No problems. Now when I'd shut off my pc after that first reboot mentioned (where it began to work), my vid card would be back to sqaure one and I would have to let it run to the desktop than reboot again for it to work. Here's where it get's tricky... you have to pay attention to detail as I write. Remember to notice what is in bold and underlined.

I than posted my problem and was met with a reply by you guys that had said the instructions you all kept telling me which I wrote above (step 1- 6). I did that. Now when I did all that my pc would still start up scrambled on the HP logo (I have an HP Vectra VL400)... So it would start up scrambled on the HP logo (you know when it says press F1, F2 - to go to bios etc)... After it would be scrambled when the Hp logo passed, the Windows XP boot progress logo would come on prefectly clear and as if the card were in perfect condition. And it would proceed that way throughout the entire way til desktop. I could view photos, documents, etc. Except now when I'd go to play that 64 bit video game (I used that game as a reference), the game would freeze before it goes into 3D mode after its basic 1D menu for the game. & I'd have to use windows task manager to close the game, or wait two secs until the game would run in 3D for about 3 seconds and press "X" to close it. Meaning that it just would'nt run the game, though it did before I followed all your steps (1-6). You know before I did anything and the way I had to get the card to work was simply put it in and reboot after the first boot as I wrote above.Another thing about the game not working after the steps I followed that you guys gave me... The desktop icons words looked shaky on the desktop. Like kinda shaky... & if I'd reboot it would make the HP (press F1, or F2 screen), look all scrambled again until the Windows XP boot progress and it would look fine again. But the game would still not run. & this process would just continue like that. & yes I did run the screen size at it's maximum size and highest bit rating, and I tried running it on it's lowest screen size and lowest bit rating too. & that just did'nt work.

Why would the card work with no drivers on a second boot up, and not when I installed the drivers and followed your steps?

The only thing (remember to notice what is in bold and underlined), the only thing that I did differently was step 3 which I wrote above that you guys gave me, which was:

2. Go into device driver and uninstall my integrated graphics that come with my "HP Vectra VL400" pc. Than shut down.

I did not uninstall it in my device manager I just disabled it in my device manager. Because I'm not going to uninstall it and than if it all still does'nt work I won't be able to get the screen to work ever again and I will lost the integrated graphics. & if it ends up having to do anything with re-installing Win xp to get my integrated graphics back I will lose my data on my pc. & If I try to use system restore, I dunno if I'll get my integrated graphics back after uninstalling them by using that. So what I choose to do when I rearranged step 2 was to:

DISABLE the integrated graphics in the device manager not UNINSTALL them. & than I followed every other step accordingly.

Is my system getting confused as to what video to use (onboard, or my agp card), even though I disabled the integrated graphics on step 2?

I have the latest NVidia drivers that you guys suggested which were the "81.98_forceware_winxp2k_english_whql" for my card. Could it be these drivers don't work? That I need different ones?

Is it that I need to actually uninstall my integrated graphics in the device manager?
Note: this is exactly what I had disabled in step 2 in my device manager "Display Adapters\Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller (Microsoft Corporation)

Did I disable the wrong one in my device manager?

Am I getting the wrong process in order to have the card working in my system?

Why is it that I can use my vid card and play games with it following no process and than not be able to when I do follow your process?

One thing I forgot to mention... This is a "Nvidia Geforce 2 MX400" 64 bit agp card. I dunno much about cards so I dunno if I should call it a graphics card or video card. If it is one or the other I'm sorry and that must've been why it does'nt work. I mean I dunno the difference between those two names (graphics card, video card).

I know this card works. Becuase it does without following your steps, when I do that boot up/reboot process with no drivers. So this card can't be damaged or ruined. It works. So what can I do. There must be some other steps I can follow. Some other method or something. Please help my card depends on it. I bought the fan as all of you suggested... I had to drive far to get that no one had it. & I am really dying to play the 3D game that I told you works one way but not the other. Please... Please. Everyone give me a solution!!!!

I know it works. So there has to be a way to install drivers and have it work from the beginning of the boot when I press the power button. & so be able to see the HP F1, F2 startup screen properly without scrambling, and have the games work with the drivers (forceware/whatever)!!!!!!!


aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm going nutz ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm literally going to go bald from pulling my hair out. HELP!!!!!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :tazz: :)


I AM IN SUPERIOR BAD SHAPE ABOUT THIS!!!! PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU FOR HELP!!!!!!!!


this is my card by the way....

Posted Image

Posted Image


By the way I had posted questions about my card before and got no reply from no one but from one person in my private box. and that was the person that gave me the steps. help..... I'm still kinda upset from being ignored...

PLEASE HAVE MERCY HELP ME!!!

Edited by superstar, 16 March 2006 - 10:40 PM.

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#2
makai

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WOW! What a post! :tazz:

Well, to begin with, if you read the main GTG page, you'll see that, to date, there have been 1,369,718 posts on this site... yours, being 1 of them! Notice the BOLDNESS of the number 1.

Now, there are 163,246 members of GTG, with only 44 of them being actual Staff helpers, moderators, Malware people, and such. 44 versus... hmmm.... many!

While we would like to help every single person who has a problem with their machine, it's just not possible to do so.... but... we do try our best! And, we ask your patience!

To answer some of your questions... The steps that were outlined for you (1- 6) would have probably been outlined by about 99% of the people who help on this site... not to mention the 100% recommendation on most video card manufacture's websites. Installing graphic drivers... especially Nvidia or ATI drivers, require that the machine the drivers are being installed on, have only the generic Windows drivers installed. If you don't do this, then you have about a 50% chance that the new driver will work. The other 50% is that the drivers WON'T work.

Another consideration is... if your computer is compatible with the video card you're trying to install. Did you check if it is?

Another consideration is whether or not the driver you installed is the CORRECT driver. Just because the manufacture says it's "the latest driver", doesn't mean it will work correctly for your card. Many old Nvidia cards will not work with the latest drivers, and instead works better with the original older driver created in the timeframe the card was manufactured.

Your best bet is to do a bunch of research on Google, and on the Nvidia site to find the driver that applies to your card... and NOT use the latest Nvidia driver.

Once you find the driver...

1) You will have to uninstall any Nvidia driver you already installed. Restart as required.
2) You will need to ensure that before you install the CORRECT Nvidia driver, you have Windows install the "generic" video driver. Restart as required.
3) Install the CORRECT Nvidia driver
4) Lets hope it works this time.


As for your scrambled screen prior to Windows starting up, this may point to a bios setting, a bios update, or a bad vid card... the Nvidia. If you can boot up fine with the Nvidia card removed, and your bios is smart enough to know which display driver to use, then it might mean the Nvidia card ram or GPU is flaky. Since you say the fan was dead on the card before you replaced it, it's possible that more than just the fan was bad.

Edited by makai, 17 March 2006 - 10:05 AM.

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#3
superstar

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What is the generic windows video driver? And how do I get that? I'm assuming I'm using a generic windows video driver right now. Or am I just using my intergrated graphics right now?

This is driving me nutz!!! lol.

Could someone explain what I need to do. I'm trying to contact NVidia right now to see if they can give me older drivers.
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#4
makai

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What is the generic windows video driver? And how do I get that?

The driver is installed when the OS is installed... so it's already on your machine.

I'm assuming I'm using a generic windows video driver right now. Or am I just using my intergrated graphics right now?

I don't know, but you can check.

Go to Start/My Computer... right click and select Properties. In the System Properties window, select the Hardware tab, then click on Device manager. Click on the (+) next to Display adapter and tell me what you see there.

BTW, it doesn't matter if you're using the generic drivers or not right at this moment. Whatever driver is being used will have to be uninstalled when you finally get the CORRECT drivers for your Nvidia card. When you get them, let me know (PM me) and we can continue this conversation.

Edited by makai, 17 March 2006 - 11:38 AM.

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#5
SRX660

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I just checked in my vectra vl400 puter because i have a AGP video card in it. I had to go into the bios(F2 on this computer) then use the arrow right key to get to the advanced tab. There i used the down key to get to "video options". By hitting the enter key it opened up the video where is says video primary controller. video controller should be in white letters here. Hit the enter key again and a small window will come up. In the small window mine was set to PCI even though it was using onboard video. I used the down arrow key to move it to AGP or Imbedded video. Hit the escape key, then hit the excape key again. You can now hit the F10 key to save and exit. It will ask you "save configuration changes and exit now" Yes will be highlighted. Hit the enter key and while the computer is booting shut it down by pressing the power button. Now install the AGP video card and switch your monitor video cord over to the AGP card. Restart the computer and let windows find the card and install the windows drivers. You wil be at a very ugly 16 colors and 640x480 screen if the video card is working right. You should now be able to install the nvidia drivers. I don't know if the newest drivers would work since i got a drivers cd with the nvidia card when i bought it.

You can go here and download the older drivers. The drivers on the cd were 41.72, and i tried the 43.45 drivers but they did'nt make it any better. I was(and still am) using a Geforce 4-440MX video card.

http://www.nvidia.co...9x_archive.html

Scroll down to the drivers and click on the windows95/98/ME to go to the download page. Click on the download, click accept to the license agreement popup window, and download the exe file.

Any Nvidia video drivers you already have on the computer must be uninstalled before installing these drivers. Go into control panel then add/remove and uninstall the nvidia drivers you have already put on your computer. This is important as 2 sets of drivers will cause the computer to get a BSOD blue screen error.

Once its downloaded close all windows, then find the downloaded file and double click on it. If possible you may want to put the downloaded drivers on your desktop to make it easier to find. The nvidia drivers should install. Rebooting the computer should give you a better looking desktop and you can go to the nvidia setting in control panel to set it where you want it. All this was done on my vectra that had windows 98SE on it.

I see that you are running XP. Things may be slightly different but generally the same.

Sorry, Makai, if it seems that i am barging in. Please forgive me.

SRX660

Edited by SRX660, 17 March 2006 - 11:52 AM.

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#6
superstar

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"srx660"...

if i download that link to the drivers you gave me will it work on win xp? you mentioned that was for win98....

i run xp...

install the AGP video card and switch your monitor video cord over to the AGP card. Restart the computer and let windows find the card and install the windows drivers. You wil be at a very ugly 16 colors and 640x480 screen if the video card is working right. You should now be able to install the nvidia drivers


are you saying that when i install the card and let windows boot... that when it winxp asks tells me that it found new hardware to let it find the installation or whatever it is winxp does on its own?

i'm assuming than i can find the nvidia drivers on my desktop and use them. but you have to tell me if they'll work (Drivers) on my xp.


by the way "makai" i went in device manager and it says "intel® 82815 Graphics controller (Microsoft Corporation)" in the display adapters. oh and you had said this:

As for your scrambled screen prior to Windows starting up, this may point to a bios setting, a bios update, or a bad vid card... the Nvidia. If you can boot up fine with the Nvidia card removed, and your bios is smart enough to know which display driver to use, then it might mean the Nvidia card ram or GPU is flaky. Since you say the fan was dead on the card before you replaced it, it's possible that more than just the fan was bad.


What is a bios update? is that something new i have to download for my computer? Or is just a term used when I make changes in the bios?

Another bios question... Say I screw with my bios a lot, how can i set the bios back to the way it was when it was manufactured by hp for my computer?


I'm going to try and download a lot of the older drivers for win xp for my "Nvidia Geforce2 MX400" 64 bit agp card. I hope that one of the older ones work.

What is the difference between older nvidia drivers and newer ones? Is it just that you have more options in your little icon control? Or do they make the pc screen look better?

One last thing. I am going to try and install older drivers and see if they work. let's say I keep puttin this used agp card of mine in the motherboard. can it ruin my system if the agp card i bought is indeed damaged from the time i bought it? I mean i have the strongest belief that it works. Because I stated why on my first post. But say the card is damamged and is ruined. Can it ruin my computer/mobo/anything just by me putting it in the agp slot? I don't want to ruin my pc.

Edited by superstar, 17 March 2006 - 01:55 PM.

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#7
superstar

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:tazz: :) YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK I JUST FIGURED OUT WHY MY VIDEO CARD HAS'NT BEEN WORKING. ESPECIALLY WITH THE DRIVERS I HAVE. :) :) :) :)

First off if you don't know what problems I have with this video card read my first post.

The reason I was having problems probably had to do with the fact that I was attempting to use NVidia drivers from www.nvidia.com. I read some lines on a page there and it says that altough you might have a video card with an nvidia gpu that does'nt mean you need a driver from them. That you should get a driver from the manufacturer that made the card. With this in mind I will once again give you the name of my card. Silly me it's on the sticker on the back of my card. I have the following video card:

Aopen
Model: MX400-
64MB-AGP

Part No: 90.05210.B15

Geforce2 MX400 64MB




I now believe that the drivers for my video card can be found on www.aopen.com

The only problem is they have different MX400 versions. I think about 3-4 of them. Now I tried looking at the driver pages for each one. The driver pages for each of the 3-4 MX400 versions have manuals and if you search the driver pages they have a link to example pics of the video card. I have tried to compare my picture (below) of my video card to the ones I have seen on the 3-4 MX400 versions pics. But about 1 or 2 of those MX400 versions pages have no pic. So I'm just wondering which one is my card. I have tried to download a couple of the manuals for them but I have'nt seen any information in them that would lead me to know. The problem is I'm on dial up, and I have no time to wait for all these things to download. I need the exact driver for my exact video card from aopen. & I can't sit and wait and download all these huge manuals. I only have time to download the driver (takes about 1-2 hours). lol.

So I am asking anyone of you who obviously has lightening fast internet to please check for me and give me the links to the driver and manual I need. & I will finally (after a few weeks of having this vid card) be able to bask in it's working glory.

Someone please search it for me!! I beg of you. I have spend countless hours on this thing (two weeks to be exact). It is now time. I now know I had the wrong drivers from the wrong site. I now beg of you to please download em for me off the aopen site. Thank you very much for helping me.

Here is actual pics of the video card I have for your reference:
Posted Image
Posted Image
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#8
superstar

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i really need this card to work. will someone read my post above? and can someone please GET ME THR DRIVERS FOR THIS CARD!!!!!!!!!
i've had this thing for over three weeks and still cant get it to work without the proper drivers!!!!!!!!!

I need them for this "Aopen Geforce 2 MX400 64bit" agp card. IF ANYONE HAS THEM LET ME KNOW!!! OR IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO GET THEM ONLINE!!! THE EXACT ONES!!!!!!!!! HELP
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#9
SRX660

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I would use the newest drivers they have for your card. This would be the first one which is the R66.93 drivers.
Nvidia has a unified driver architecture. What this means is that the one driver will work on different models of the same video card. It might be possible that Aopen has modified the nvidia drivers but i really doubt it. I think if your look at the different MX440 video card drivers they all say its the same drivers. the thing is there are different video drivers for Windoqws XP and 98SE so you will have to decide which Os you are going to use. If you are planning to use XP don't install the video drivers until after you install XP. The card should work with the windows drivers, its just not pretty.

http://download.aope...tw/default.aspx

The nvidia drivers are here.

http://www.nvidia.co...p_2k_84.21.html

These are the latest 84.21 drivers. On the left side is the products supported and it says it supports the Geforce2 MX400.

It still may be that the card has gone bad. It happens at times and this card is pretty old for computer standards. Another problem is that the geforce 2 cards are only 4X. This may be a bit slow when editing DVD's and videos on a computer. A good midrange video card that is 8X is the FX5200 series cards. her3es one i would like for video editing. If your motherboard doesnt support 8X this card is 4X also.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814164014


SRX660
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#10
superstar

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I think I'm just gonna get a new video card....
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#11
warriorscot

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Probably for the best the support for those cards is pretty bad and they do have a lifetime that if its been used it would be starting to near.

You probably would have got more help if you hadnt said dont ignore my post in the topic title, completely alienates staff right away(caps doesnt help either), just for future reference that combined with posts that are very long puts us off, bullet points we like keep it simple, anyway just for future reference, you can buy a much better card for not alot of cash anyway, things like FX5200s are better(they arent good but better) and are very cheap.
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